Self-winding clock.



G. H. MYRICK.

'SELF WINDING CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED AUGJB, 1913.

1, 140,477. Patented May 25, 1915.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. MYRICK, 0F ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 1'0 MINERALLAC ErIECTNG OF. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SELF-WINDING cnoox.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed August 18, 1918. Serial No. 785,296.

clear, concise, and exact description, refer-- ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to self-winding clocks and its object is to provide a clock mechanism wherein the clock train is spring driven and the spring is periodically wound by the actuation of asuitable solenoid or other electromagnetic device.

My invention provides a' very efficient clock of this type, at the: same time employing an extremely small number of parts and thus making the clock an exceptionally economical one to manufacture.

These and other features of my invention are more fully set forth in the following description and are'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a more or less diagrammatic plan viewof a clock mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating the clock contact mechanism and the circuit controlled thereby, and Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating how the main shaft of the clock may be mechanically connectedwith a suitable mechanism as, for instance, the chronometer controlling mechanism of a recording watt meter.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views. In Fig. 1 I have shown in section at 4 a portion of the clock frame work, in which is mounteda shaft 5 constituting one of the elements of a clock train. .Rigidly mounted upon the shaft 5 is a ratchet wheel 6 provided. with a spring-pressed holding pawl 7 pivoted to a stud- 8 carried by the frame work 4. Having oneendthereofsecured to the shaft 5 and its other end secured to .a gear 9 loosely mounted on said shaft, is the driving spring 10. It is to be understood,

ct, in practice it is oftentimes not desirable to use a helical driving spring. The usual coiled clock spring is, of course, the equivalent of my spring 10. The gear 9 meshes with one of the gears of a train 11 which is operatively connected with an escapement wheel 12 and its co-acting pawl 13.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, and disposed between ratchet 6 and gear 9, is a triple ratchet wheel comprising a central portion 14 having hubs 15 and 16 which are provided with teeth, and so constitute ratchet wheels. The portion 14 of the triple ratchet wheel is provided with a peripheral rim of insulating material in which the ratchet teeth are cut. The part of the central portion 14 upon which the insulating rim is carried is preferably formed integral with the hubs 15 and 16. The ratchet 6 and the gear 9 are each provided with a stud to which is pivoted a gravity or spring-pressed pawl arranged toengage the teeth of the adjacent one of the hubs 15v and 16 ofthe triple ratchet wheel, these pawls beingillustrated at 17 and 18 respectively.

A solenoid 19 is provided to periodically rotate the ratchet wheel 6,.said solenoid comprising the usual movable core 20 having a pawl 21 arranged to engage the teeth of said ratchet wheel, and a spring 22 tending to hold the core in normal position. As

illustrated in Fig. 2-, the solenoid is included in circuit with a battery 23, the circuit terminating in a pair of contact springs 24 and 25 mounted in a block 26 of insulating material, the said contact springs being provided with suitable contact points 24 and 25, as shown. Each of the contact springs referred to is provided with a down-turned end riding upon the periphery of the central portion 14 of the triple ratchet wheel, the said springs being separated when they ride on different teethof the ratchet wheel, but electrically engaging each other and closing e solenoid circuit when they ride on the same tooth.

The operation ofthe clock mechanism just described is as follows When the gear 9 turns under the influence of the driving 7 spring 10, the triple ratchet wheel is also driven on account of the pawl 18 which engages the teeth of the hub 16 of the triple ratchet wheel. As the triple ratchet wheel turns, the contact spring 25 is permitted to snap onto the same tooth of the central portion of the triple ratchet wheel that the spring 24 rests upon and so closes the solenoid circuit. WVhen the solenoid is energized, the pawl 21 thereof advances the ratchet 6 and, consequently, rotates shaft 5 and winds spring 10. When, upon energization of the solenoid, the ratchet 6 is rotated it also advances the triple ratchet wheel on account of the pawl 17 which engages the teeth of the hub 15. Thus, the triple ratchet wheel is advanced to permit the spring 24 to advance one tooth on the central portion 14 of the triple ratchet wheel and so open the solenoid circuit. When the clock spring has again unwound an amount sufficient to advance the triple ratchet wheel to permit the contacts 24 and 25 to close the solenoid circuit, the operation above described is repeated.

It is evident that the solenoid will be periodically energized to operate the ratchet 6 and rotate shaft 5 to wind the drii'ing spring. As shown in Fig. 3, I have provided shaft 5 with a gear 27 having driving connection with a suitable train of gearing so that operation of'the solenoid will directly drive said gearing and the mechanism actuated thereby. The mechanism referred to may, if desired, be directly and positivelv driven from the gear 9 shown in Fig. 1. lVhen the mechanism driven by the shaft 5 is connected with the gear 27 it is preferable to have a spring connection between the gear 27 and said mechanism to cause a continuous driving of said mechanism, although the connection may be rigid if desired. If the clock mechanism is provided with indicating hands, the said hands may, of course, be operatively connected with any shaft of the clock train in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a self-winding clock, a shaft, a driving spring having one end thereof secured to the shaft, a wheel loosely mounted upon the shaft, said wheel being fastened to the other end of the spring, a ratchet wheel also loosely mounted upon said shaft, mechanism whereby the first wheel is unable to move under the influence of the spring without rotating the ratchet wheel, a third wheel rigidly mounted upon the shaft, mechanism whereby the third wheel is unable to move independently of the ratchet wheel in the direction in which the spring tends to move the first wheel, said ratchet wheel. being adapted to move in said direction independently of the other wheels, electromagnetic mechanism adapted when operated to shaft and the other end to said wheel, a second wheel rigidly mounted upon the shaft, and a third wheel loosely mounted upon the shaft disposed between said first and second wheels, ratchet mechanism for preventing either of said first mentioned wheels from moving independently of the third wheel in the direction in which the driving spring tends to move the first wheel, said third wheel being adapted to move in said direction independently of the first and second wheels, electromagnetic mechanism arranged when operated to advance the second wheel, a circuit for said electromagnetic mechanism, and contacts for controlling said circuit bearing on said third wheel and controlled thereby, an annular space being interposed betweenythe wheel engaging surfaces of said springs.

3. A self-winding clock comprising a shaft. a wheel loosely mounted on the shaft, a spring connecting the wheel and shaft, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on said shaft, mechanism whereby the shaft and said first wheel are unable to move in one direction independently of said ratchet wheel, said ratchet wheel being adapted to move in said direction independently of the first gear and the shaft, electromagnetic means arranged when operated to rotate the shaft to wind the sprin a circuit for said electromagnetic mechanism, and spring contacts controlling said circuit riding on the periphery of said ratchet wheel, an annular space being interposed between the ratchet wheel engaging surfaces of the said contact springs.

4c. A self-winding clock comprising a shaft, a gear loosely mounted upon said shaft, escapement mechanism, operative connection between said gear and said escapement mechanism, a driving spring connecting the shaft and gear, a. ratchet wheel, another wheel so related to the shaft that the shaft is rotated When the wheel is r0- tated, mechanism whereby the gear and said last mentioned wheel are unable to rotate in one direction independently of the ratchet wheel, the ratchet Wheel being adapted to rotate in said direction independently of the gear and the other wheel, electromagnetic means for rotating the shaft to wind the sprlng, a holding pawl to prevent rotation of the shaft in a reverse direction, a circuit for said electromagnetic means, and contact fnechanism controlling said circuit, said conmy name this 15th day of August, A. D., tact mechanism being operated by the ratchet 1913. Wheel and arranged to have two ratchet Wheel engaging surfaces, an annular space GEORGE MYRICK' 5 being interposed between the ratchet en- Witnesses:

gaging surfaces of said contacts. ALBERT C. BELL,

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe ALBI N C. AHLBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 0! Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

